Attachment means for venetian blinds



Feb. 11, 1958 w. o. ROBERTS ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR VENETIAN BLINDS Filed Aug. 25, 1955 'W////am 0.. Haber fJ INV EN TOR.

ATTORNK5 United States Patent ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR VENETIAN BLINDS William 0. Roberts, Austin, Tex., assignor of ten percent to N. 0. Roberts, Austin, ten percent to George Roberts, ten percent to Ed ONeal Coleman, ten percent to James Coleman, and ten percent to Charles C. Roberts, Houston, Tex.

Application August 25, 1955, Serial No. 530,445

I V 3 Claims. (Cl. 160173) ICC Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the blind with its lower bar raised to the full extent permitted while the attachment means is still connected;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the blind with its lower bar tilted to permit access to a casement window crank;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one form of the attachment or anchor means of this invention; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary exploded view showing another form of the attachment or anehor'means of this invention.

Referring to Figures 1-3 of the drawing, a portion of a conventional casement type window is shown, -the window having a frame 1 with vertical side faces-1a and a horizontal window sill 1b. A pair of windows 2 are mounted in the frame in the usual manner by hinges (not shown) and are arranged to swing outwardly upon manipulation of one ofthe two cranks 3. The window has a venetian blind installed therein, the blind being of the usual construction and having a plurality of horizontally disposed slats 4 which are connected by two permit swinging of said bar from about the level of the raised for cleaning said window sill, for operating a casement window crank, or for similar purposes.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable anchor means for the lower bar of a venetian blind, which is so constructed that the bar, or either end thereof, can be elevated from the window sill to a predetermined elevation thereabove, and can be maintained at said elevation or at any selected position between said window sill and said predetermined elevation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved attachmentmea'ns for attaching a lower bar of a venetian blind to a window frame, wherein said attachment means includes a member pivotally connected to each side of said lower bar and to the sides of the sists of a pair of members or strips 7, each of which is window frame for permitting pivotal movement of said bar, and wherein the members are formed of a resilient or spring material and are so spaced from each other that they apply an inward force to each side of said lower bar to maintain said bar at selected positions above the window sill to the extent permitted by said pivotal move-' ment andwithout requiring disconnection of said members from said lower bar;

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved attachment means for a venetian blind which is so constructed that improved ventilation is obtained when using same with a venetian blind by permitting the'lower end of the blind to be positioned at a higher elevation than that of the window sill, while at the same time applying a positive retaining force to the lower end of the blind to normally prevent same from dropping or flopping back and forth in the wind.

vThe construction designed to carry out the invention will be' hereinafter described, together with otherfeatures tl'i'ereofi i The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the lower portion of a window having a venetian blind installed therein, illustrating the attachment or anchor means of the invention connected to the blind and to the frame of the window and showing the blind as it appears when its lower edge is disposed horizontally and positioned immediately above the window sill;

pairs of tapes 5. The lower ends of the tapes 5 are attached to a horizontally disposed lower bar 6, which is positioned below the lowermost slat 4.

The attachment or anchor means of the invention conformedof an inherently resilient material,

such as spring steel.

Each strip 7'is preferably curved intermediate its ends so that the end portions thereof lie in different planes which are parallel to and spaced apart from each other. 1 -One end of each strip 7 is pivotally-connected to an end" face or side of the bar 6, and the opposite end of each.

strip 7 is pivotally connected to the'adjacent verticalsidc face 1a of the frame 1; As will be evident hereinafter, the Y arrangement is such that the ends of the bar 6 may be swung outwardly and upwardly from its position ir'nme-.

diately above the window sill 1b as shown in Figure 1 to the raised position shown in Figure 2, or to any selected intermediate elevation. Also the bar 6. mayv be tilted at the angle shown in Figure 3 or at the opposite angle if desired, without disconnecting the strips .7,from ,the 6 is in the raised position (Figure 2) the window sill 1b is easily available for cleaning,

bar 6. When the bar and also upon opening the windows 2, ventilation below the blind is provided without disconnecting the blind from the members 7. The tilting of the blind (Figure 3) is ordinarily used when it is desired to manipulate only one of the. cranks 3, and again it will be observed that thebar does not become disconnected from the-members 7. The end portions of the strips 7 which have connection with the bar 6 yieldably engage the side faces 1a of the frame 1 and the end faces of the bar 6, respectively, to which they are connected, and therefore the bar. 6 is held in any of the positions shown in Figures 1-}, or at any selected intermediate position, so that a positive retaining force is appliedto the lower end of the blind to normally prevent samefrom flopping. back and forth;

when a wind blows. against same.-

As shown in detail in Figure 4,"a screw 8 extends through an opening 8a in the inner end of each strip 7 for threading into the vertical side face 1a of the vertical window frame 1 (Figures 1-3) whereby each strip 7 is pivotally connected to one of the side faces 1a. The opposite end portion of each strip 7 has a hole 9 formed therein for engagement by a pin 10 which is connected to the side or end face of the bar 6 and extends outwardly therefrom whereby each strip 7 is pivotally connected to one or the end faces of the bar 6.

As previously mentioned, the members or strips 7 apply an endwise force to the bar 6 at all times which is sufficient to hold the bar 6 in a raised position so that it Patented Feb. 11, 1958 does not drop or flap back and forth. 7 To obtain such endwise force, the members 7 are made of a resilient or spring material and the outeruends of the pair of strips 7 are spacedafrom eachtothen aslesserndistance thanathe lengthgof the, bar 6- prior; to attaching; the-,barqfipto; the; strips 7. Thus,itisynecessary to, expandthe stripsfl away from-leachothertto' position zthegpinswltl in-,-the openings 9 of the strips 7.- BycurVing the, stripssLLass, shown in the drawings, so that the outersendstare disrp posed closer:toseach.bother;-than-;the qinnerv ends thereof 10 when thezstrips 7 are; attached ,tothe-Mindow framed and the bar 6, the pins 10 can project through the ;c pen;,- ings 9 without contacting ;,the framehl, and also :zthe rsfrictional engagement; of the strips-;7 with: thetframe 1 1;;is}; concentrated at the inner ends of the strips. Such; 1cQ n ntration-of the fri tio al eng s menttat the: inner ;ends

of the strips-also results fromthedeyerzactionimparted to: each strip due to itsqinherent gresiliency and its tcona, fined position ,-under compression tbetweenrtthei sideiface of the window. frame -1and:the,;end of the bar ,6. 5110113 frictional engagementgisgnot; sufiicientxtq interferewims thesWinging of thezbar'6, but it issufiicient ,to-preventr; the bar 6,from being movedby the zwindtfrom a selected elevation at which it is positioned;

Amodifiedzformgof:thestrip 7 is:shown-in l-igurevS; which is similantothat-formshown;in Figure 4, butinthe-formofFigurej, .aztpinsll'isattached to, orisin tegral with, the outer; end. .of' the :strip .7 and extends laterally therefrom zfor :positioningin in hole; :12 formed inzeachiof the :end:faces,of1:the ban6ifor pivotal connec- 0 tion; thereto; :t Thus,zin .instances-lwhere the 'bar 6 "is :providediwith :openings 12 insteadof pins .10, the members a I 7 "of Figure -.5 are used insteadof the members 7 of: Figure 4,1but both function insthe same manner-in pro-- vidingihe pivotalconnection'of the bar-6 to-the=window frame/1;

It ishouldebenotedthat :in both forms of-the invention illustrated,- the members 7 are pivotally connectedto-the vertical side faces 1a of the window'frame-which eliminates :the accumulatio'n of dust and dirt on-the horizontal 40 surfacemf the windo'w sill lb which occurs with theattachmentmeans presently used for venetian blinds:

It will betunderstood that this invention--can --be used with any-typeof window, and thatth'e casement window isillustrated onlybecause the attachment means of 'this a invention is-=particularly-advantageousfor use on blinds mounted in casement windows due to the tiltingfeature previously ---described"whichprovides quick access to; the cranks for *openingand closing;thecasement windows.

The foregoingdisclosure and description of the-inyention is illustrative and 'explanatory-thereof and various changes in-thesize; shape and materials',, as well as .in, the details ofitheillustrated-construction, may be made withinthe-scopeof; :the appended'claims without depart ing fromithe'spirit of the invention. 5

What is -claimediis:-

1. In combination with-- a; window having a venetian blind installedtherein, means for anchoring the. lower bar of the-blind to-the sides of the window frame, comprising a pair of elongatedflat metal strips connected, respectively,- tothe-endsof'the-bar, each of the strips being formed of a materiaLcharacterizedby its. inherent reasaasea.

silience and being curved intermediate its ends so that the end portions thereof lie indifferent planes parallel to and spaced apart from each other, one end of the strip being pivotally connected to an end face of the bar and the opposite end of the strip being pivotally connected to the adjacent side face of the frame, the arrangement being such ,that the connected ,ends of the bar, or either. end. thereof,'may be swung outwardly and upwardly to a selected-position fromv a lowermost. position in. whiclnthe bar-isdisposed horizontally-and is positioned immediately adjacent the window sill, the strips yieldably engagingdhe faces to which they are connectedandsrbeing confined under compression therebetween for maintaining the bar in its selectedtpos ticnt.

2. An attachment, means forattachingmthe lower bar of a venetian blind to a window frame, including a pair of attachment members, means pivotally connecting one end of each of said ;members to. the, opposite vertical side faces of the windowirame; means pivotallyconnecting the other? end of each; of said members vto the opposite ends oftsaidlower ,barwhereby said lowerbar. is pivotally connected to said window frame for swingingsaid lowen;

. bar upwardly from its lower position immediately; above therwinglowsill to an upper elevation permitted bythe lengthofieach said members; each ofsaid membersbeing formed, ofa-resilient material and being confined under mpressio bet n e w r ical side ace lot the window frame ;and the--end ,face of ,the bar, so that each of {said members applies; an; endwise force-to the barandinva: direction towards eachother-to thereby hold said-barzat; any selected positiombetweemsaid window ,Sill. and said; upper elevation.

3.-,Arr attachment means ;for attaching the lowen bar; ofiawenetian: blind; tota;window. frame, including a pairofattachment members, means :pivotally connecting one endqofzeachrofi saidmembers to the opposite vertical side faces-of the :window frame, means pivotally connecting the other end of eachof saidi members-to theoppositeends of said.-lowerbar whereby said lower bar is pivotally connected to said window framefor swinging saidlower .bar upwardly from its lower position-immediately above-- the :window sill to an upper 1 elevation permitted by the length'of each of said members, eachof said members-beingsformed of amesilient material and said other ends" ofJsaidmembers'being spaced apart a distance less than the: length of-saidlower ban prior to the-connection of;- said other endsofisaidmembers -to' saidbar so that said" members are expanded and confined-under compression between the =yertical 'sidefa ce of the-windowrframe and-- the-end face of the-bar; whereby each of said members applies an endwise force to the barto hold said bar at" any selected position between i said window sill and "said upperelevation:

er c it d n efile fit isi Patent UNITEDwSTATEScPATENTS: 

